Superior Spider-Man #20

By Dan Slott & Giuseppe Camuncoli

It’s extremely frustrating to have a series be so inconsistent. One issue, Superior Spider-Man is barely readable, only for the next one to be pretty darn great. Issue #20 is definitely in the great category. Slott manages to avoid his usual traps and tells a story that sets up some very interesting seeds for the future.

Otto seems to be falling from grace and issue #20 foreshadows some further failures to come in the future. It’s annoying to see a Spider-Man that’s so darn successful. Spidey, whether it’s Peter or Otto, would never be making tons of cash at a scientific think tank and have so few personal problems. If Slott has set all of this up only to tear it all away and leave him even worse off than before, that’s acceptable and commendable. It’s looking like that darn Parker luck is about to show up in bigger and more devastating ways.

The scene with Black Cat and Spidey-Ock is fantastic, being both fierce and awkward. It’s going to be a blast to see Peter deal with this fallout after his inevitable return. Actually, the best part of Superior is watching Otto destroy Peter’s personal life because you know it’s going to make for some entertaining comics in the future.

Giuseppe Camuncoli has turned in one of his prettiest Spidey issues yet. Ryan Stegman is a tough act to follow, so it’s a relief to see that the artistic quality hasn’t dipped. His best work is during ordinary moments involving regular people, not superheroes doing superhero things. Those panels with Peter/Otto presenting his doctoral thesis are impressive.

Superior Spider-Man is on an upswing. As stated before, the writing is maddeningly uneven, but this issue leaves fans with a ton of hope for the future. Fingers crossed that this high quality can sustain itself.